Cracks
by Asriel and Frisk
Summary: [SPOILERS] (obviously) Asriel, following his defeat, stays in the ruins, hoping to spend the last moments in his real body alone. Frisk, however, will not accept it, ultimately finding a way to save them both. (Note: I have gendered Frisk. Toby intended for each person to assign whatever gender that they find fitting.)
1. Prologue

Cracks

(Note: I have assigned genders to both Frisk and Chara, identifying them both as female.)

Prologue: Someone Else

"Frisk, don't you have anything better to do?"

Frisk sighed. It was the phrase she dreaded, the phrase she had heard time and time again. It was the reason she kept reseting, the reason that she started over after everyone was finally free.

Perhaps Flowey had been right. She did want that "perfect ending". But it wasn't for herself. Frisk knew how to do it, and easily, too. She could live a perfect life with her new family on the surface in under three days' time.

All her needs were taken care of. She should have been happy, but she wasn't. Nothing could shake from her head the image of Asriel, weeping in remorse over what he had done to his family, what he had done to them all. Asriel, telling her to forget.

But she could not. She refused. She returned, again and again. Each time, she walked back to meet him. Each time, she hoped that this time, it might be different. That maybe, something she did differently might ripple, changing the timeline just enough to do it.

Just enough that he might finally accept her offer.

"Frisk, no! I don't deserve this! Look what I did to you! Look what I did to Mom and Dad! Just leave me be. All I can hope is that I can finally get some rest. At least I can be sure that my reset left with the other souls."

 **. . .**

"...I know that, Frisk. But what about you? You have… friends now. You have… you have a new family. How can you give that up?"

 **. . .**

"I don't know, Frisk, it's just not the same. You should know that. Besides, why should I matter so much to you, anyway? We've only known each other for maybe thirty minutes. Well, when I wasn't… you know..."

"More like thirty hours."

"What? That can't be right..."

"Asriel, I reset. I reset a lot. I went to the surface with the others, the first time. Actually, quite a few times. But every time I tried to settle down, I saw the same face. The face of someone I was told to forget."

"Frisk, I-"

"The one I couldn't save."

"Frisk, if I'm just the last piece of-"

"No, Asriel, you're not. I saw someone who had lost everything. Someone who did the right thing, and died for it. Then, when they turned around and fixed their mistakes, they sacrificed their own happiness for the sake of another.

"Asriel, this is a way for both of us to be happy. For everyone to be happy. You can have peace again, Asriel."

Frisk reached out with both of her hands, grasping his claw.

"Asriel, you can finally be free."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Reunion

 _Are you ready?_

 _No._

 **. . .**

 _I don't want to_ _go,_ _Frisk, but I don't think it_ _wi_ _ll get any better by waiting._

 _All right, then._

As one, they took a deep breath and stepped through the imposing door, and their fur tingled as it felt the slight breeze now flowing through the now-broken barrier.

Asriel clutched their heart, feeling its strange beat.

"Nyahhh! Why is Frisk taking so long! There can't be _that_ much to do!"

"Frisk has made quite a few friends on his journey here, Undyne. I'm sure she's going to be just fine. We can be patient. After all, we have been waiting for hundreds of years. I'm sure a few more hours can't hurt us."

 _Mom…._

 _Asriel, it's going to be okay. We can do this._

"Ughh… I know, Toriel. I just wish she would hurry up and finish so we can finally leave this cursed place."

 _Asriel, everyone's waiting for us._

 _Waiting for you. I'm supposed to be dead, remember? And you're supposed to be alive._

 _I'm not dead… well… maybe I am, technically. But I never saw any body. So…_

 _Yeah, this never happened with Chara. I… I've never had a heart before._

 _Hmm? What do you mean?_

 _Well, monsters are mostly made of magic. I've never had this much… physical-ness._

 _Huh._

They looked up suddenly when they realized the complete silence that now hung over the room.

 _I think they noticed us, Frisk._

 _...you think?_

Asgore's voice was the first to penetrate the silence that hung like a fog.

"A-Asriel?"

Asriel waved awkwardly. "Um… hi."

Toriel ran over, looking at him more closely. "My child… how is this possible? You… you..."

They shifted uncomfortably.

 _This is not going to be easy, it it?_

 _No, Frisk. No this is not._

"Oh no. Oh no no no..." Alphys looked away, putting her claws over her eyes. "This is all my fault. That garden… Those flowers… Oh no..."

"It's not your fault Alphys. You didn't know."

"But I did! If only I wasn't so focused on my work, I would have remember that's where..."

"Alphys. It's not your fault. Even if it was, I've forgiven people for more than that."

Alphys uncovered her eyes, looking back at them hopefully. "Rea-" Suddenly, her expression changed as a thought struck her. "No, you didn't…"

"NONE OF YOU ARE MAKING SENSE! CAN SOMEBODY MAKE SENSE, PLEASE?"

"Frisk… why?"

Toriel looked at Alphys with a puzzled expression. "Alphys, what are you talking about? It is strange for Asriel to be alive, but that is a good thing, is it not? And he is clearly not Frisk. I do not understand."

Alphys looked around at all of the confused faces, and the face of the King's son, looking studiously at the ground.

"I… I don't really know how to explain. I mean..."

"It's both of us."

Toriel looked at them sharply. "What do you mean?

"I mean… I mean Frisk is here, too."

Toriel opened her mouth to respond, but Asriel continued, talking rapidly in a vain attempt to make the words easier.

"I didn't want to. After what I did, I didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve anything. But… Frisk was persistent. Very persistent. I… I finally accepted."

"Well… um… it is okay, Asriel. I do not blame you. I may not understand everything about the situation, but… at least I can have you back again."

"Th...thank you, Mom. But I don't think I deserve-"

"Now Frisk," she said, her expression changing drastically. "What. Were. You. _T_ _hinking?_ "

Frisk cringed under her sudden glare.

 _Uh oh._

"I leave you for less than an _hour_ , and you've already _killed yourself?_ "

Frisk raised a claw hesitantly. "Well, I might not have-"

"I just spent the last half hour telling everyone that 'Frisk will be fine,' and 'Frisk can take care of herself.' 'Every monster already knows about Frisk, she could _never_ be in danger.'"

Toriel took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Now, I am very happy that you brought our son back with you, and I am very touched that you would think him worth… whatever you did. But maybe, just _maybe_ you could have warned me first?"

Her expression softened. "I just found that my child I thought was long dead is now alive. I did not need to hear that another was now dead. I love you, Frisk, and… despite what it means, I respect your own decision. But, please, tell me. Was there no other way?"

"His soul was broken, Mom. There were only a few shards left. If I didn't do anything..." Frisk glanced over at Alphys. Perhaps the full story could wait a while. Until Alphys was ready to tell hers.

And until Asriel was able to admit his own.

Toriel breathed out heavily. "I… I understand. I just want to know… where… where is Frisk's body?" She looked slightly downward. "I just want to make

They fidgeted nervously. "Umm… I didn't… see any."

"What do you mean, dear? Frisk gave you her soul, didn't she?"

"Um… I don't exactly know how to explain this… I don't really understand it myself, but..."

They reached out, taking Toriel's claw and placing it on their chest.

"W-what is this?" Toriel moved her claw back away. "A heartbeat? But only humans..."

"I.. I don't think I… um… I mean Asriel had enough… magic, or substance, or something. I don't know. But I think we combined, somehow. Without dying. Or maybe I… um, Asriel, was already dead, kind of?

"I'm sorry, Mom. I really don't know. I just want you to know… we're both still here. We both still love you. And we – no, _I…_ I will never leave you again."

"But Frisk, did you not have a place to go to? Was this not what you were trying to do all this time? To go home? I… I can't take you away from that."

They chuckled. "That would be a bit hard to do, now wouldn't it?"

"I… I suppose so."

"And… and Frisk didn't come here so she could go home."

"W-what do you mean, my child? You seemed so determined to leave. If you did not want to go home, then… ?"

"Mom... I would have loved more than anything to be able to live with you in those ruins. It would have been peaceful and happy, if a bit lonely. But I could already tell that something was wrong. You seemed to avoid my questions about who you really were. You seemed quite overprotective, and quite prepared to house someone like me. And… perhaps you shouldn't have let me read those books on monster history… I had to know for myself. I'm sorry."

Toriel embraced them. "It's all right. I'm… I'm just glad that both of you are all right."

They returned her embrace fully, then broke away and looked at the rest of their new friends. "I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long. I think it's time.

"It's time for monsters to go free."

 _How does Papyrus even cry? He doesn't even have any eyes!_

 _I dunno. Magic, maybe?_

 _But that's your answer for everything!_

 _Well, it usually_ is _the answer to everything._

 _Ugh..._


End file.
